10. Witnessing
Questioner: I am full of desires and want them fulfilled. How am I to
get what I want? Nisargadatta: Do you deserve what you desire? In some
way or other you have to work for the fulfilment of your desires. Put in
energy and wait for the results. Questioner: Where am I to get the
energy? Nisargadatta: Desire itself is energy. Questioner: Then why does
not every desire get fulfilled? Nisargadatta: Maybe it was not strong
enough and lasting. Questioner: Yes, that is my problem. I want things,
but I am lazy when it comes to action. Nisargadatta: When your desire is
not clear nor strong, it cannot take shape. Besides, if your desires are
personal, for your own enjoyment, the energy you give them is
necessarily limited; it can-not be more than what you have. Questioner:
Yet, often ordinary persons do attain what they desire. Nisargadatta:
After desiring it very much and for a long time. Even then, their
achievements are limited. Questioner: And what about unselfish desires?
Nisargadatta: When you desire the common good, the whole world de-sires
with you. Make humanity's desire your own and work for it. There you
cannot fail, Questioner: Humanity is God’s work, not mine. I am
concerned with myself. Have I not the right to see my legitimate desires
fulfilled? They will hurt no one. My desires are legitimate. They are
right desires, why don’t they come true? Nisargadatta: Desires are right
or wrong according to circumstances; it depends on how you look at them.
It is only for the individual that a distinction between right and wrong
is valid. Questioner: What are the guide-lines for such distinction? How
am I to know which of my desires are right and which are wrong?
Nisargadatta: In your case desires that lead to sorrow are wrong and
those which lead to happiness are right. But you must not forget others.
Their sorrow and happiness also count. Questioner: Results are in the
future. How can I know what they will be? Nisargadatta: Use your mind.
Remember. Observe. You are not different from others. Most of their
experiences are valid for you too. Think clearly and deeply, go into the
entire structure of your desires and their ramifications. They are a
most important part of your mental and emotional make- up and powerfully
affect your actions. Remember, you cannot abandon what you do not know.
To go beyond yourself, you must know yourself. Questioner: What does it
mean to know myself? By knowing myself what exactly do I come to know?
Nisargadatta: All that you are not. Questioner: And not what I am?
Nisargadatta: What you are, you already are. By knowing what you are
not, you are free of it and remain in your own natural state. It all
happens quite spontaneously and effortlessly. Questioner: And what do I
discover? Nisargadatta: You discover that there is nothing to discover.
You are what you are and that is all. Questioner: I do not understand!
Nisargadatta: It is your fixed idea that you must be something or other,
that blinds you. Questioner: How can I get rid of this idea?
Nisargadatta: If you trust me, believe when I tell you that you are the
pure awareness that illuminates consciousness and its infinite content.
Realise this and live accordingly. If you do not believe me, then go
within, enquiring ‘What am I’? or, focus your mind on ‘I am’, which is
pure and simple being. Questioner: On what my faith in you depends?
Nisargadatta: On your insight into other people’s hearts. If you cannot
look into my heart, look into your own. Questioner: I can do neither.
Nisargadatta: Purify yourself by a well-ordered and useful life. Watch
over your thoughts, feelings, words and actions. This will clear your
vision. Questioner: Must I not renounce every thing first, and live a
homeless life? Nisargadatta: You cannot renounce. You may leave your
home and give trouble to your family, but attachments are in the mind
and will not leave you until you know your mind in and out. First thing
first -- know yourself, all else will come with it. Questioner: But you
already told me that I am the Supreme Reality. Is it not self-knowledge?
Nisargadatta: Of course you are the Supreme Reality! But what of it?
Every grain of sand is God; to know it is important, but that is only
the beginning. Questioner: Well, you told me that I am the Supreme
Reality. I believe you. What next is there for me to do? Nisargadatta: I
told you already. Discover all you are not. Body, feelings, thoughts,
ideas, time, space, being and not-being, this or that -- nothing
concrete or abstract you can point out to is you. A mere verbal
statement will not do -- you may repeat a formula endlessly without any
result whatsoever. You must watch your-self continuously -- particularly
your mind -- moment by moment, missing nothing. This witnessing is
essential for the separation of the self from the not-self. Questioner:
The witnessing -- is it not my real nature? Nisargadatta: For
witnessing, there must be something else to witness. We are still in
duality! Questioner: What about witnessing the witness? Awareness of
awareness? Nisargadatta: Putting words together will not take you far.
Go within and discover what you are not. Nothing else matters.

I
AM THAT

Dialogues
of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

10.
Witnessing

Questioner:

I am full of desires and want them fulfilled. How am I to get
what I want?

Nisargadatta:

Do you deserve what you desire? In some way or other you have to
work for the fulfilment

of
your desires. Put in energy and wait for the results.

Questioner:

Where am I to get the energy?

Nisargadatta:

Desire itself is energy.

Questioner:

Then why does not every desire get fulfilled?

Nisargadatta:

Maybe it was not strong enough and lasting.

Questioner:

Yes, that is my problem. I want things, but I am lazy when it
comes to action.

Nisargadatta:

When your desire is not clear nor strong, it cannot take shape.
Besides, if your desires are

personal,
for your own enjoyment, the energy you give them is necessarily
limited; it can-not be

more
than what you have.

Questioner:

Yet, often ordinary persons do attain what they desire.

Nisargadatta:

After desiring it very much and for a long time. Even then,
their achievements are limited.

Questioner:

And what about unselfish desires?

Nisargadatta:

When you desire the common good, the whole world de-sires with
you. Make humanity's desire

your
own and work for it. There you cannot fail,

Questioner:

Humanity is God’s work, not mine. I am concerned with myself.
Have I not the right to see my

legitimate
desires fulfilled? They will hurt no one. My desires are
legitimate. They are right desires,

why
don’t they come true?

Nisargadatta:

Desires are right or wrong according to circumstances; it
depends on how you look at them. It is

only
for the individual that a distinction between right and wrong is
valid.

Questioner:

What are the guide-lines for such distinction? How am I to know
which of my desires are right

and
which are wrong?

Nisargadatta:

In your case desires that lead to sorrow are wrong and those
which lead to happiness are right.

But
you must not forget others. Their sorrow and happiness also
count.

Questioner:

Results are in the future. How can I know what they will be?

Nisargadatta:

Use your mind. Remember. Observe. You are not different from
others. Most of their

experiences
are valid for you too. Think clearly and deeply, go into the
entire structure of your

desires
and their ramifications. They are a most important part of your
mental and emotional make-

up
and powerfully affect your actions. Remember, you cannot abandon
what you do not know. To

go
beyond yourself, you must know yourself.

Questioner:

What does it mean to know myself? By knowing myself what exactly
do I come to know?

Nisargadatta:

All that you are not.

Questioner:

And not what I am?

Nisargadatta:

What you are, you already are. By knowing what you are not, you
are free of it and remain in

your
own natural state. It all happens quite spontaneously and
effortlessly.

Questioner:

And what do I discover?

Nisargadatta:

You discover that there is nothing to discover. You are what you
are and that is all.

Questioner:

I do not understand!

Nisargadatta:

It is your fixed idea that you must be something or other, that
blinds you.

Questioner:

How can I get rid of this idea?

Nisargadatta:

If you trust me, believe when I tell you that you are the pure
awareness that illuminates

consciousness
and its infinite content. Realise this and live accordingly. If
you do not believe me,